JOHN Prescott is preparing to break his pledge to announce the powers of an elected North West Assembly this month - provoking fresh claims that his plans are in "utter chaos".

A draft Bill will not now be published before MPs start their summer break if Conservatives in the House of Lords block regulations allowing an all-postal ballot.

Ministers have repeatedly promised to set out the proposed powers of the Assembly this summer, to avoid accusations that people are being asked to "vote blind".

If the Bill is not published before the Commons goes into recess on July 22, it cannot be released until September after campaigning has started.

The fresh row came as Mr Prescott was expected to confirm today that the referendum will take place on November 4, as he laid necessary orders before Parliament.

Bernard Jenkin, Tory devolved government spokesman, insisted there was no need to wait until those orders had been agreed before publishing the Bill.

He said: "Why won't John Prescott tell the truth about the powers the Assembly would have?

"His regions campaign is deeply dishonest, utter chaos, a waste of taxpayers' money and has split the Labour Party.

"Now Mr Prescott is trying to wriggle out of publishing the draft Bill on a time scale which would allow it to be properly debated."

But a Government source told the Daily Post: "We will not publish the Bill unless the House of Lords passes the regulations."

The orders are controversial because the Government has again defied the Electoral Commission in pressing ahead with an all-postal ballot before it has been given the all-clear.

The Commission is investigating claims of widespread fraud in all-postal ballots in last month's local elections and will not publish its conclusions until September 13.

Ministers have accepted they cannot scrap polling booths if the Commission decides it would be "unsafe", but are ignoring its advice by laying the orders now.

In a further twist, it emerged that the regulations are not due to be debated in the Lords until July 22, the last day of the Parliamentary year. That will increase suspicion that the Government is anxious to escape its commitment to publish the Bill because ministers cannot agree what the Assembly's powers should be.

The Government source also made clear the referendum would not be held with traditional polling booths, even if the Commission rules against all-postal ballots.

Ministers would rather scrap the poll altogether than risk a much lower turnout which would make defeat more likely, or expose public apathy towards devolution.